TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur still have plenty of work to do in the transfer window with both incomings and outgoings.

Thomas Frank’s squad have travelled away from pre-season with Mohammed Kudus and Kota Takai the only new additions to the squad.

Meanwhile, Spurs are yet to offload any of their players on permanent deals, with the squad still looking rather bloated.

Several youngsters have remained in London to seek loan moves away, but there is one player in talks to leave on loan, which could raise a few eyebrows.

Tottenham in talks to send Antonin Kinsky on loan to Lille

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with Lille over a potential loan deal for goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, according to L’Equipe.

The French club have set their sights on the young Czech Republic goalkeeper as their priority in their hunt for a new shotstopper.

Paris Saint-Germain are in talks to sign Lucas Chevalier in a deal worth around £35 million, but first, the French club want a replacement sorted.

The report from France claims that talks have started over a deal to sign Kinsky, who Tottenham signed for £12.5m. This could also explain why he missed Spurs’ double header of friendlies on Saturday.

Brandon Austin started against Wycombe Wanderers, meanwhile, Guglielmo Vicario started in net against Luton Town, with Kinsky on the bench.

Kinsky’s ability with the ball has impressed during training, but question marks remain over his ability as a shotstopper, and perhaps a loan could benefit him.

But given the way Frank wants his team to build from the back and bait teams into pressing them, Kinsky’s ability with his feet could make him a useful asset.

Tottenham recently appointed Fabian Otte as their new goalkeeping coach, after he left Premier League champions Liverpool at the end of last season.

Mikey Moore, Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett could also be heading out on loan, with the trio all missing the trip to Asia to explore potential moves away from Spurs.

Brandon Austin as Guglielmo Vicario backup might not be sensible

Keeping Brandon Austin as the Guglielmo Vicario backup might not be sensible given the former’s display against Wycombe.

The Spurs academy graduate conceded twice against the League One outfit, with the first goal going right through him in a calamitous moment for the 26-year-old.

Despite praise from Dejan Kulusevski, Austin being Spurs’ number two goalkeeper for the 2025/26 season could prove to be a disaster waiting to happen.

Loaning out Kinsky to get regular minutes in Ligue 1 could be great for his development, but it leaves Frank short in the goalkeeping department.

Cristian Romero is expected to be a key member at Tottenham Hotspur during the new era under Thomas Frank.

Romero played 74 minutes in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw at Hotspur Way against Wycombe Wanderers.

The North London club are expected to depart on Monday for their tour of Asia, in which they are due to face Newcastle United and Arsenal.

But ahead of the trip, Spurs fans think that Thomas Frank is set to make a rather interesting decision involving their current vice-captain.

Tottenham fans think Cristian Romero is going to be made captain

Tottenham fans believe that Frank is going to make Cristian Romero the next captain at the football club after footage from half-time in the Wycombe game emerges.

Romero and Frank were spotted in deep conversation during the break, in what appeared to be a discussion about tactics.

Currently, the 27-year-old is the vice-captain behind Son Heung-min, however, the South Korean’s future at Tottenham is in doubt.

Meanwhile, Romero looks set to stay at Tottenham following Atletico Madrid’s failed pursuit of the Argentine defender.

The Danish head coach will have known that one of his first tasks when he arrived at the club was to get the World Cup winner on his side.

After a training session last week, Frank was spotted with his arm around Romero, as he continues to win over the defender.

Now, Spurs fans have taken to X to share their thoughts on Romero and Frank’s half-time interaction and believe he could be set for a new role very soon.

One fan said: “Looks like a captain and coach talking.”

Meanwhile, another claimed: “That’s a captain and manager talking if ever I’ve seen it.”

There were further suggestions that Romero would soon be made captain: “Even if Son stays, which I don’t think he will, Cuti is getting that armband.”

“You easily could take from this that Romero may be the captain come Burnley or sooner, but I’d expect this in general,” stated another supporter.

Frank failed to rule out giving Romero the armband during his first press conference, and with Son in line to leave.

James Maddison would be the other option to replace the 33-year-old should he leave, but at this stage, Romero appears to be first in line.

Son Heung-min could be sold for £20 million

TBR Football has already reported that Son can leave for a suitable offer this summer, with LAFC having held talks to sign him.

But the final decision is set to be made by the player himself, and Tottenham will respect whatever decision he makes.

In terms of a valuation, Tottenham would be open to selling Son for around £20 million, as per Give Me Sport.

Son agreed to a one-year contract extension at the start of the year, which will see his contract run until next summer.

Tottenham will no longer be signing Morgan Gibbs-White this summer.

Spurs looked set to swiftly add the England international to the signing of Mohammed Kudus at the beginning of July, triggering the £60m release clause written into his Nottingham Forest contract.

However, the deal stalled as Evangelos Marinakis threatened to report Tottenham to the Premier League over what he deemed to be an illegal approach, and in the meantime, was able to convince Morgan Gibbs-White to sign a new deal.

Now – according to AS in Spain – Tottenham are ready to turn attention towards Rodrygo after this development.

Tottenham move on to Rodrygo

The Spanish news outlet now state that Spurs are going to make attempts to sign the Brazil international after missing out on Gibbs-White.

AS write that Tottenham have just “burst in” to the Rodrygo saga after interest from Arsenal cooled following the signing of Viktor Gyokeres – adding that the north Londoners have money to spend for Thomas Frank.

It is said that Spurs will try to talk Real Madrid down from their current asking price of €90m (£79m) – presumably hoping to negotiate a fee closer to the £60m Daniel Levy was willing to spend on Gibbs-White.

Rodrygo does not seem to be a key player under Xabi Alonso, who handed the South American just 92 minutes of action at the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

However, AS mention that the Brazilian wants to be told this for certain by the Spaniard during talks before making any decision on joining a new club.

Rodrygo – who Real Madrid signed from Santos for £39m at the age of 17 – has scored 68 goals and provided 51 assists in 270 appearances for the Spanish giants.

Tottenham face competition from Liverpool

Arne Slot has bolstered his squad quite substantially after winning the Premier League title last season, with Liverpool already spending close to £260m on the signings of Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike.

More incomings are expected as Bayern Munich close in on the signing of Luis Diaz – with Darwin Nunez also expected to leave.

Tottenham Hotspur will need to find a new midfield target after Morgan Gibbs-White signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

Despite Tottenham having triggered Morgan Gibbs-White’s release clause, the midfielder has rejected their move to sign a new deal with Nottingham Forest.

After weeks of speculation, Gibbs-White has signed a new contract with Forest and rejected Spurs’ move to bring him to North London.

Now, Thomas Frank will need to look elsewhere in his hunt for a creative midfielder, and the perfect option might already be available for cheap.

Lucas Paqueta could be a cheap Morgan Gibbs-White alternative

West Ham United have made Lucas Paqueta available for transfer at just £30 million, according to the Daily Mail.

Paqueta has been cleared of all charges against him by the FA, and the Hammers are now open to selling him this summer to raise funds.

West Ham have already sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £55 million to help aid Graham Potter’s bid to rebuild his squad.

Now, the Brazilian is the latest star who could be sold, and he could be an ideal alternative target for Tottenham Hotspur after Gibbs-White signed a new contract.

Like the Forest captain, Paqueta is best playing in the number ten role, but can also operate in a double pivot, which would make him a great option for Frank.

At just £30 million, the 27-year-old is now a great market opportunity for whoever picks him up, having previously been valued at £85 million.

Paqueta, who’s been called ‘extraordinary’, remains a top Premier League midfielder, and could benefit from playing in a more settled team following a tricky campaign with West Ham.

Spurs are crying out for a midfielder who possesses the technical quality of the West Ham star, and a deal for him should be strongly considered.

Tottenham have spoken to Xavi Simons and James McAtee

Xavi Simons and James McAtee are among the other alternatives to Gibbs-White, and TBR Football understands Spurs have spoken to both players.

A deal for Simons is unlikely, though, given that Chelsea are in advanced talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for the Dutch attacker.

Meanwhile, Forest had been trying to sign McAtee, but with Gibbs-White now committed to the City Ground, they might be out of the race.

McAtee is available for around £20 million, and again, he could be another great opportunity in the transfer market for Spurs.

Last month, TBR Football revealed that Tottenham were closely monitoring Harvey Elliott, and the Liverpool forward could quickly become an alternative.

The 22-year-old spearheaded England U-21’s European Championship charge with five goals in six appearances for the young Three Lions.

Tottenham Hotspur fans felt one of their academy players looked “better” than Son Heung-min in Saturday’s friendly draw with Wycombe Wanderers.

Spurs contested two friendlies on Saturday, drawing 2-2 with Wycombe and a separate contingent playing out a 0-0 stalemate at Luton Town.

Pape Matar Sarr opened the scoring at Hotspur Way in the 13th minute, but the visitors turned the game around through Junior Quitirna’s brace.

Tottenham managed to claw a goal back and avoid defeat as Sarr grabbed his second of the game, with academy star Tynan Thompson providing the assist.

Spurs fans loved what they saw from Thompson and took to social media to sing his praises.

Tottenham fans rave about Tynan Thompson in Wycombe draw

Tottenham fans backed the 17-year-old to enjoy a bright future in the game, with some saying he looked better than Spurs captain Son Heung-min on the day.

“Tynan Thompson going to be a baller in the future,” one fan wrote on X.

Another fan said: “I’ve seen quite a bit of hype on here about Tynan Thompson and I’m starting to see why!”

The praise for Thompson kept coming, with one fan writing: “Love this cameo from Tynan Thompson.

“Looks like such an intelligent player… and knows what he wants to do on ball before it gets to him.”

Another said: “Tynan Thompson has been very sharp on that left-hand side, good with body feints and quick bursts of pace.”

Another wrote: “So happy for Tynan Thompson after he made his first team debut today and showed everyone his ability.

“He was one of the stars when he was an U16 and then was brilliant last year for our 18’s as a first-year scholar.

“Drives at his man and has good end product. One of our own!”

Tynan Thompson factfile

Thompson has been described by the Tottenham website as a ‘lively left-winger’ who joined the club at Under-12 level.

He featured in all but one of Tottenham’s league games at Under-18 level while also helping the club lift the Under-17 Premier League Cup.

Thompson also made his Under-21s debut in December last year, against AFC Ajax in the Premier League International Cup.

Thompson signed his first professional contract at Tottenham in May this year, and it’ll be exciting to see how he continues to develop as a footballer at Hotspur Way.

Son Heung-Min was given his first start of pre-season by Thomas Frank on Saturday as Tottenham welcomed Wycombe to North London for a friendly at their training ground.

The South Korean played the second half of Tottenham’s 2-0 win against Reading last time out, the first game of the Thomas Frank era.

Afforded the chance from the beginning against League One side Wycombe, Son failed to impress, playing 77 minutes as a Pape Matar Sarr double helped Spurs to a 2-2 draw.

While only a pre-season game, Tottenham fans were keeping a close eye on Son amid significant interest from LAFC, delivering a sad verdict at the game’s conclusion.

Tottenham fans think it’s time for Son Heung-Min to be sold

At 33 years of age, it is clear that Son’s best years are behind him.

Last season, he only found the back of the net seven times in the Premier League, his worst goal return for Tottenham since his first campaign at the club (in which he only started 13 games).

Judging his performance against Wycombe, however, Tottenham fans do not expect a better output this term, instead calling for the club legend to be sold.

One fan wrote on X: ‘Need a LB. Need a striker. And Sonny man, time to go.’

Another echoed that sentiment, stating: ‘Son needs to go.’

Interestingly, Richarlison was also lumped together with Son by some fans, with one writing: ‘Son and Richy [have] got to go. No hate. Especially not on Son. But it’s time to move on.’

Another added: ‘I love Son. But Son and Richarlison can’t be here next season. Time for both to move on. Son deserves to go out on top. Staying another season would damage his legacy.’

With Son starting the game out left, Tottenham supporters also pointed out the issues their side were having down this flank. One wrote that the ‘Left side is so poor,’ while another added that the ‘Left side [is] running on fumes.’

While most of the reaction was negative towards the 33-year-old, it wasn’t all bad, with one fan writing: ‘Feel so bad for Sonny.’

Where Thomas Frank and Tottenham stand with Son Heung-Min

As noted above, in recent days, LAFC have intensified their interest in Son Heung-Min, indicating that they are keen to bring him to the United States.

There has also been interest from Saudi Arabia, with the 33-year-old holding talks with some Saudi Pro League clubs.

Amid these links, Tottenham have made clear that Son can leave the club, should an acceptable offer be received.

With Frank also not confirming if Son will remain captain of the club, and after Tottenham splashed big money on Mohammed Kudus, it therefore seems as though an exit could be more likely than not as the summer transfer window draws on.

Should that happen, Tottenham fans who are currently critical of him will do well to remember the heights that Son hit at his peak in North London.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both had shocking domestic campaigns last season.

The two clubs made the headlines for reaching the final of the Europa League, and Spurs saved their season by winning the competition in Bilbao.

However, Ange Postecoglou was still sacked by Tottenham because his side finished 17th in the Premier League table, which is their worst finish since the 1976/77 season.

Manchester United weren’t a lot better either. The Red Devils finished two places and four points ahead of Spurs, but their season was a much bigger disaster because they failed to get their hands on a trophy.

With a new campaign coming up, both clubs are hoping for big things, and Dominic Solanke has made a prediction.

Dominic Solanke predicts whether Manchester United and Tottenham will finish in the top four

The upcoming Premier League campaign is going to be a really exciting one.

Almost every club has strengthened in this window already, and some of the big sides are looking incredibly strong thanks to the addition of brilliant new players.

Tottenham have so far signed Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus, while Manchester United have brought in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Both clubs intend to do more business, and the aim will definitely be to finish in one of the Champions League places – preferably in the top four.

Solanke, however, thinks only one of those clubs will make it.

When asked to name who will finish in the top four next season, in no particular order, he replied on _da4p’s TikTok: “Tottenham. Liverpool – they’ve (made) some good signings. (Manchester) City – I think City will bounce back this year.”

As he was thinking about the fourth club, the host asked: “United, innit?”

Solanke replied ‘nah’, before saying: “Arsenal!”

Manchester United are likely to finish higher than Tottenham for one reason

Tottenham and Manchester United can’t be as bad as they were last season.

Finishing 17th and 15th respectively is simply unacceptable when you consider the size of the two clubs, and fans will demand more this term.

Solanke feels pretty confident that Tottenham will finish above Manchester United, but the Englishman could be wrong.

That’s because the Red Devils will mostly play just one game a week in the upcoming campaign, as they failed to qualify for any European competition.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly missed out on a summer target who has been described as a “complete, dominant and elegant centre-back”.

Spurs have been fairly busy on the transfer front this summer, with Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai all joining the club permanently.

Despite Tottenham appearing well-stocked at centre-back, links with other defenders persist, not to mention Ashley Phillips has gone out on loan at Stoke City again.

Burnley’s Maxime Esteve is one of the players Spurs are said to have approached, but according to a report, they haven’t succeeded in their mission.

Maxime Esteve pens Burnley contract extension

Earlier in July, French outlet L’Equipe reported that Tottenham had resumed talks with Burnley over Esteve, a player they also tried to sign in January.

At the time, Spurs reportedly made an offer of about £20million, while Burnley demanded in excess of £30million.

However, the same outlet has now reported that Esteve has signed a contract extension with the newly-promoted Premier League side.

L’Equipe reports that, despite being courted by the likes of Tottenham and Crystal Palace, Esteve has decided to commit his future to the club.

That said, Burnley have refused to sanction any departure this summer, the report added.

Why Maxime Esteve is in such high demand

Esteve was a regular in Burnley’s starting XI last season, starting every one of their 46 Championship games en route to promotion via second place.

The 23-year-old was part of the back line with the best defensive record in history, conceding just 16 goals from 46 matches, an average of 0.35 per game.

At just 23 years of age, Esteve has his whole career ahead of him and, while Tottenham will be disappointed with having missed out on him, they’ll surely keep tabs on him next season.

After all, if Esteve takes his amazing Championship form into the Premier League, then there will be even more suitors over the next two transfer windows – particularly if Burnley don’t stay up.

Newcastle United could really do with some positive news right about now.

Indeed, the feeling around St James’ Park is quite low at the moment as it sounds like Alexander Isak wants to leave the club.

Liverpool are keen on Isak, and a deal could be done this summer to bring the Swedish forward to Anfield.

Luckily, there is now some good news to report for Newcastle fans as the Magpies appear to be set to bring in a new attacking addition.

According to Craig Hope, speaking on his YouTube channel, a deal for Yoane Wissa is now looking likely.

Yoane Wissa likely to join Newcastle

According to Hope ‘everything’ suggests that Yoane Wissa will be joining Newcastle this summer.

Wissa had been linked to Tottenham in a deal worth £40m, but it sounds as though a move to Tyneside could now be on the cards instead.

“Yoane Wissa too. I’ve had a lot of confidence on this deal externally for a long time now. I was the first one to break news of the interest a few weeks ago in my Newcastle confidential column,” Hope said.

“Everything tells me Wissa will happen, but it’s not as easy to negotiate as perhaps Newcastle and Brentford would like. But again, Wissa is not dissimilar to Isak’s situation. He’s only got two years to run on his deal. There’s always a right time to sell.”

Yoane Wissa compared to Alexander Isak

Wissa will be arriving at Newcastle as a new attacking option as it looks like Alexander Isak is set to depart.

Of course, Wissa isn’t quite as glamorous a name as Isak, but in terms of numbers, he wasn’t a million miles away last season.

In a team that is more creative and more ball-dominant, Wissa could well match Isak’s numbers at Newcastle.

Wissa actually scored the same number of goals as Isak last season if you don’t include penalties, so he does have the capacity to be just as lethal as the man he may replace at St James’ Park.

It may not all be doom and gloom at Newcastle if Isak leaves and Wissa comes in.

Kobbie Mainoo could be on the way out at Old Trafford this summer, with his Manchester United contract remaining unresolved.

As exclusively revealed by TBR Football, Tottenham have asked about signing Mainoo amid the uncertainty of his future under Ruben Amorim.

According to reports elsewhere, Mainoo’s representatives aren’t asking for an unreasonable salary from United, which is why the youngster will be even more frustrated.

The Red Devils are looking to add further reinforcements to their midfield, which could force the 20-year-old further down the pecking order.

Amid speculation over a move to North London, an image posted on the midfielder’s Instagram has resurfaced, which will only fuel transfer talk.

When Kobbie Mainoo posted himself in a Tottenham kit

Back in April, Kobbie Mainoo stunned Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United supporters when he posted an image of himself as a child wearing a Spurs shirt.

The midfielder was celebrating his 20th birthday and posted an old image on his Instagram wearing Tottenham’s third shirt from the 1995/96 season.

The image is even more baffling, given that the shirt would have been well over ten years old when the image was taken.

It’s worth noting that Mainoo has not mentioned anything about the move, however, it’s quite interesting to see him in Spurs colours following the latest links.

Thomas Frank is keen to add a number six to his midfield this summer and the Manchester United academy graduate could be the perfect option.

Spurs require homegrown players and Mainoo would, of course, tick that box, which will only add to his transfer value.

TBR Football has also revealed that Tottenham are talking to Joao Palhinha about a move away from Bayern Munich.

The Portuguese international is ten years Mainoo’s senior, so it would be quite a change in plans to go from the United starlet to Palhinha.

Mainoo’s career at Old Trafford so far has been rather stop-start due to injuries following what was an impressive breakout campaign in 2023/24 from the youngster.

Michael Carrick believes that it is natural for young players to have dips in form, and he just needs the right people around him to keep believing in him.

For the 20-year-old, that could even involve a move away, given his struggles to work his way into Amorim’s plans at United.

Carrick told Rio Ferdinand Presents: “I think it’s pretty normal, I had it in my third year, I was at West Ham, I was terrible.

“I came out of the England squad, I just couldn’t pull it together. I’m not saying he’s terrible, Mainoo – I think it’s a little bit different for him. Some players can have that at the time.

“I think you need stubbornness to stick at it and keep believing, it’s tough at times and I think you need people to stick with you, believe in you.

“I think we’re quite quick to season to season or every six months to say, ‘ah he’s good’, ‘ah he’s not good enough’. I think we were given a lot more time.”